Down here, we try to meet on a regular basis for what we call craft morning. A few ladies from around where I live and myself, we get together to do crafts and chat. We alternate where we meet and that morning the hostess will serve breakfast, coffee and/or tea and everyone works on whatever project they have going. I will be bringing a Monk's Cloth Afghan which is also called Swedish Weaving. I am almost finished and hope to finish it tomorrow. One lady knits baby hat for the neonatal unit for our 2 local hospitals. Another lady is crocheting a baby afghan. I am not sure what other projects will be brought but you can be sure that this is an interesting, learning experience of sharing of knowledge.

In past years, we have met on a weekly basis but this winter has been a little difficult so I have not participated in my craft mornings. I have not even had time to miss them. But now, Rudi just got his clean bill of health, with limitations, but nonetheless, we can start doing our hobbies again.

Are there similar gatherings going on in your neck of the woods that you would like to share with us I would be interesting to see or hear what other do.

I am going to answer this myself. Mary is not into the craft stuff, but her mom and sisters are. Mary likes going to the craft shows and loves looking at the neat handmade things, she would rather BUY than to make, don't tell her this, she isn't to crafty. But she can tell you what is wrong with ya and what you need to do and what medicine you should be on.

Mary's mom does the hand card stamping bit and then she's in ceramics, and now she in this gazing ball thing. It's basically where you take an old bowling ball and you take these little pieces of glass and/or broken pieces of mirror and glues them on the bowling ball. This makes a really neat looking gazing ball. Oh yeah, what I really think is neat is these cement stepping stones. and I don't know exactly how it's done, but I "think" you lay what ever type of glass you want in the bottom of the mold for the desing and then pour a ready-mix concret in and let it set up. She's made me a couple and if you haven't seen any, I can post a picture or two for you, they are REALLY neat and are a big hit down this way.

But like yourself these ladies get together and they bring snacks and what have you and to tell you the truth, I think there is more gossip than work, lol, but Lois (Mary's mom) is in her late 70's and she really enjoys these weekly get togethers and does it a lot.

Mary's biggest problem is that she works 12 hours shifts and when she does have the extra time, she is either busy getting caught up on household stuff or is just plain worn out. So that don't give her much time to do a lot of extra things. I know she would love to, but just not engough hours in the day. I bet it's like that up in your neck of the woods too.

Also there are still a bunch of older ladies that get together as they have for the last couple hundred years to have their sewing sessions. It may be making baby quilts or just plain quilting bees, (probably another time to get caught up on the local gossip, lol)

Anyhow, I am hoping that this forum will start taking off here before to long. I was really getting my taste buds up and running. Don't give up just yet, KEEP IT GOING, it will take off before you know it and you'll find all your spare time in front of the computer. Mary says she checks quite frequently, but she don't have any good recepies to post, so she just waits to see what suits our eating habits and of course her time home. We like easy dishes that don't take a lot of time to prepare, stick it in the slow cooker and go on and do sometihng else.